A process of performing rolling using a high temperature solidified cast part in a continuous casting device is currently widely used, due to equipment costs and operating costs thereof being more inexpensive than conventional processes.
In addition to the process of continuously performing casting and rolling, a batch process capable of performing rolling separately from the above-mentioned continuous casting can also be performed, which is described in detail in Korean Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-0044897.
Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 1, it is possible to provide a remover 320′ for cutting and removing a defective steel sheet, and a heater 310′ for heating a steel sheet 2′ before transport thereof to a hot roller 200′ for rolling.
That is, conventionally, a remover (push & piler) 320″ for cutting the steel sheet 2′ produced in the continuous casting device 100′ or the steel sheet 2′ passing through a first rolling section 210′ at a fixed length and for laminating the steel sheet 2′ to the outside of a transport line, and a heater 310′ for heating or heat-insulating the steel sheet 2′ have been installed in different locations in a transport direction x of the steel sheet 2′, respectively.
Further, a layout of a transport path has been formed in which, regardless of being in the endless rolling mode or the batch rolling mode, at least one of a holding furnace (HF) and the heater 310′ has been installed at a rear end of the continuous casting device 100′, and the steel sheet 2′ has been provided to the second rolling section 220′ via another heater 310′ installed at a rear end of the first rolling section 210′ provided after that.
However, the shorter the distance of the layout from the continuous casting device 100′ to the second rolling section 220 is, the more advantageous it is, since the temperature loss of the steel sheet 2′ during rolling is less. Because the remover 320′ and the heater 310′ may be located at different locations on the transport path of the steel sheet 2′, the layout has become elongated by an amount equal to the arrangement length of the remover 320 or the heater 310′, and there has been a problem of an increase in temperature.
That is, in order to be able to perform the endless rolling and the batch rolling at the same time, there is a need for a space in which the steel sheet (slab) cut to a length capable of producing a single rolled coil in front of the first rolling section 210′ can be disposed. Although a heater 310′ for compensating for a drop in temperature and a remover 320′ for cutting and piling up the steel sheet 2′ have been required in the space, each of the heater 310′ and the remover 320′ is fixed at a different location on the transport path of the steel sheet 2′, which has made the layout longer.
In addition, since the heater 310′ for heating or insulating for finish rolling and the remover 320′ for removing a defective steel sheet 2′ which may be generated in the first rolling section 210′ are also required to be installed between the first rolling section 210′ and the second rolling section 220′, the layout for the rolling is further elongated, and the temperature loss may further increase.
Meanwhile, since an output side steel sheet 2′ of the first rolling section 210′ may be vertically bent (warped) or horizontally bent (cambered) depending on the temperature conditions, there has also been a problem of a risk of damaging the heater 310′ or the remover 320′ installed on the output side of the first rolling section 210′.
Accordingly, there has been a need for a research into continuous casting and rolling apparatuses and methods for solving the aforementioned problems.